Love Revealed: A BWWM Sweet Romance Novel (16 page)

"Good morning, handsome. You had your coffee...yet... What is that in your arms? OH! Did your friends have their baby already?" Darla asked?

"Um... No. This is not their baby. Okay. Well, we never really talked about our ex's in much detail." Darla cut Guy off.

"WHAT? Your ex? What are you about to tell me Guy Murtagh? Seriously."

"Okay, this is Grace. Her mother is Margaret, who is my ex. I have not seen her since we broke up, well over a year ago, but enough of a timeframe that she can try and claim that Gracie is mine. I know she's not mine. Mags is just trying to get back at me for dumping her and for blocking her from my email."

"Then why are you holding that woman’s baby and feeding her?"

"Well, she dumped her with me on the porch yesterday evening, pretty much told me the baby is definitely mine and she had to go to a work conference and she’d come pick her up in Maine. I too, to say the least, was gobsmacked. I don't think I said a word to her. I called Frank and Gail and they came and helped me with her while we tried to pack as much as we could.”

"So, she's not yours? Are you sure?"

"I am pretty sure we used protection the whole time we were together. I did not want kids then."

"So, you want kids now?"

"I'm definitely thinking about it,” he said. "What about you? Are you done having kids?"

"No, I’ve definitely thought about having siblings for Adeen, if I met the right man." she said, smiling at him.
 

"Okay, so we both want kids, well it's something to keep in mind, but we will see how I do with Gracie, I'll be alone with her until I get down to you guys tomorrow morning. Frank and Gail are arriving today in two hours to help me finish all the last bits and pieces, but I don't know if I should drive through the night with her, or leave it until tomorrow."

"I think you should just leave whenever you are ready. Babies typically sleep in the car, so it would be good if you were driving overnight anyway. Just come straight to my place and I'll help you out with her."

"You'd do that? You are an angel."

"No problem. This ex of yours is a piece of work dropping her kid on you like that, but it's not yours or Gracie's fault, so of course I'll help her, plus babies are so cute!"

Frank and Gail arrived on time and brought bagels, doughnuts and coffee. Guy had packed all the kitchen stuff away this morning as Grace sat in her bouncy chair. They sat and ate as Gail fed gracie a bottle.
 

"She's a pretty neat little baby." Frank said.

"Yeh, she didn't wake me up once last night, I'd totally forgotten she was there until I heard some cries first thing when I woke up." Guy said.

"Well, even though her mom seems like a right… I wont say it, but this little one is a real cutie pie." Gail said.

"So, you going to get the test done when you get to your new place?" Frank asked.

"Yes, first thing Monday morning. No idea if my insurance will cover this sort of thing, but I looked up and there is a kit you can buy in some pharmacies and send it off to a lab and they call in 2-3 days, so I should have it by the time Mags come back on Saturday. I feel bad for Gracie, I mean, I hope Mags is stable and a good parent and this was just a desperate attempt to get back at me and she also needed a babysitter."

"Yeah, I mean, but what if she doesn't come back!" Gail added.

"Oh God, I never even thought of that." At that moment Guys phone rang. It was Mags.

"Hey Mags, how are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm good, how's our lil girl? Is she doing okay? I miss her like crazy."

"Yeah, she’s been a really great kid, my friends are here now, Gail and Frank, Gail is feeding her right now."

"Oh thats good to hear. So, when are you leaving for Maine?”

"Tonight. I'll text you the address if you want so you can just meet us there on Saturday."

"Okay, that sounds great. Okay I gotta get back now, lots of meetings to get to. Bye."

“Bye Mags."

Guy said his goodbyes to Frank and Gail, thanking them both for their help in packing and with his sudden case of surprise baby. He told them he would come and visit as soon as they have their little bundle of joy. Frank drove Guys car home and would keep it for him until his next visit.
 

 
With his last belongings in his rental truck, he pulled out of his driveway for the last time at ten in the evening. Little Gracie, was tucked in all cosy in her car seat, awake, but settled. The drive would take a while and he would need to stop, but he hoped that she wouldn't be too upset along the way.
 

Guy ended up stopping four times along the way, to feed and change Gracie, and to feed himself too. She had slept most of the way and other times, just lay there making little noises. He pulled up outside Darla's at quarter to seven Monday morning. He was tired, very tired. He unclipped Gracie’s chair from the seatbelt and carried her up the path to Darla’s. Darla was up and he saw the light in the hall come on as he approached the house. The door opened and Darla stood there, wrapped in her dressing gown and slippers, looking as beautiful as ever and somebody he wanted to really spend some more time getting to know.
 

"Boy, I really thought this was just too crazy to be true and you would show up empty handed, but here you are with some woman’s baby."

"I know! I'm still adjusting." He kissed her and then followed her into the house.

By the time Gracie's bottle was warm enough for Darla to start feeding her, Adeen was awake and downstairs to see what was happening. They had just told her that Guy had had to mind the baby for a friend real sudden. She was happy to see her, she hadn't been around babies much as none of her friends had younger siblings yet, so she ooohed and ahhed over her, loving the opportunity to cuddle her and help feed her.
 

"I love babies." Adeen said as she let Gracie hold her finger and wave it about.

"Yes, they are very cute, but hard work too, isn't that right Guy?"

"Oh, yes, super hard work. And they cry a lot and are stinky."

"Noo, they are so cute. I'd love a baby brother or sister,” she said, looking up at them both with her cute little face.

"Would you now? Well, I don't know. One child is enough for me." Darla said.

"No, mama you gotta have a baby with Guy. I gotta have a little brother or sister. Two of my friends mama's are having babies now."

"Okay, well no promises. You don't just have a baby because you want one, it has to be the right time and right now, Guy and I have just started dating."

"Okay then."

Later that day, they went to the pharmacy together and Guy picked up the paternity test. He took the samples in the bathroom of the diner and then filled out the forms, all the while hiding it from Adeen. Then they posted it after lunch. He felt relieved it was done. Even though there was a small chance he could be the father, he really felt like he wasn't and that Mags was just taking out her revenge on him. If he was Gracie's father, then they would all deal with the situation like grown ups and work something out. Nancy inquired who the baby was and they just said they were looking after her for a friend for the week. The baby drew looks from the people they knew who all thought they had adopted a new baby suddenly. They thought maybe it would be best to head out to the island and get a break from all the looky loos.
 

Gracie did great on the boat ride, even falling asleep. Adeen was adamant that she be allowed sleep in the upstairs bedroom with Gracie, so they allowed her. Guy and Darla were both sure that after one night of being kept awake, she would relent and want her down with her mom and Guy. The weather was great that week for them. Late July and the sun just continued to shine, the temperature was too much for the kids though, and they stayed indoors most of the time. With Guy and Darla sitting out on the porch, the kids inside with a fan on them. Adeen was still writing her short story and Gracie was sitting in a fort they had made her surrounded by blankets, playing with some old toys that were in the house. When the time came for them to leave Saturday morning, Guy and Darla both looked longingly at Gracie.
 

"Even if she is yours, I'll not change my mind about you, so I hope you don't feel you have to leave and be with Mags just because of the baby." Darla said.

"Even if she is mine, I wouldn't leave you. We'll work something out. Maybe Mags can move here, or we'll just see her on weekends. It will work out."

"One thing I realised over this last week though. I definitely want to have a child with you. You have been great with Adeen, I see how much you are growing to love her, but I want to see what a you and me baby will grow up to be like. We will have two wonderful children raised in happiness."

"I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe when I finish this book, we can start to talk about planning for a child. So much has happened this summer, I feel like this book is drifting away from me, now this stuff with Mags. If the baby isn't mine, I'll have to come back out to the island for the rest of the summer and focus on the book. I hope you wont mind if I can only see you weekends then. But if I batten down the hatches, then I should get it done faster and be back to help you sort out your house?"

"That sounds fair to me. Right, Adeen you have everything? Lets be on our way."

When they got back to Darla's there was a voice message on Guy's cell phone. The network is patchy out on the island and he had missed the call from the lab about the results.
 

"This is it,” he said to Darla.

"Okay, just as we said before, we can handle whatever the answer is."

"Okay. Here goes."

Guy hit redial and called the number. He was happy they were open on weekends as he didn't think he could have waited until Monday.

"Hello? This is Guy Murtagh, you left a message yesterday about my paternity test? Is it possible to get the results now?"

They asked him to confirm a few security questions he had included on the forms and then gave him the answer.

"Okay, thank you so much for your help. Goodbye." he hung up the phone and sat down.

"Well?", Darla asked him.

"She's not mine,” he said. He felt himself welling up for some reason.

"Are you upset she's not yours or happy?" Darla asked him.

"I'm happy, very happy, but also even happier, thinking about us making our own little baby. Also, pretty angry at Margaret for putting me through this. I can't wait to see her later."

"Oh, you can't be too hard on her. She's a single mom, thats a pretty tough job. She was completely wrong doing what she did, especially considering she left you alone with her kid, but no harm done. She knew you were a good guy and would take care of her. You don't have to take my advice, but I would just tell her you took the test, you know Grace is not yours and just be done with her. I'm sure she will just take the answer be happy you didn't freak out and leave. It will probably be the last you see of her."

"Yeah, I know you're right, but at the same time."

"What are you two talking about in here?" Adeen asked, walking into the kitchen.
 

"Nothing, Ms. Nosey pants." her mom said. "How about we call the pizza place and grab us a couple of pizzas and have a lazy night in front of the T.V later?"

"YES! I say yes." Adeen said jumping up and down.
 

"Sounds good to me." Guy said.
 

In the afternoon he got a call from Margaret to let him know that she was on her way to the house. She had got a rental and was going to drive back to Virginia that evening. He thought it was best if he met her outside, he didn't want to involve Darla or Adeen anymore in this messy business. She pulled up about an hour after her message and came running to the front steps to them both.
 

"Hello my baby,” she said, bending down to Gracie. "So, how did your daddy time go?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about that. I took a paternity test and got the results this morning, so I know she is not mine Mags."

Mags stood up and went from a neutral expression to an angry one. "You couldn't even let me have a moment could you. I was going to tell you, you know. I just wanted to see how you would do as a daddy, thats all."

"So, whose the father then? You didn't expect me to be with somebody else now I guess? Maybe you were hoping I would fall in love with Gracie so much that I would fall back in love with you?"

"Maybe something like that. I know who her father is. He's a waste of space I had a very brief fling with in the weeks after we broke up. I no longer see him, he has nothing to do with Gracie. His mother however is an angel and helps me out a lot. She thinks I left Gracie with friends this week, I just was lonely. I thought maybe you would feel for me or something. Crazy I know."

"It is a little crazy. Gracie is a little sweetheart, I'm happy to have met her.”

"So, how's your relationship going anyway? I mean you moved here to be with her?"

"Yes, I did. I wanted to see where it was going and if I went back to Virginia at the end of the summer, then everything would change and it wouldn't be the same relationship anymore. So I'm trying to sell my house there and I'm renting a small place here in the meantime."

"You haven't moved in with her yet?"

"No, it's still early days and she has a young daughter, so we will wait a bit for that. Look, I think you should get on your way. I don't mean that to sound rude, but you've got a long drive ahead of you and Gracie's already slept a good bit today."

"Yes, you're right. I'll get going. Listen, thank you for not being too cruel to me. You could have really called me out over this. I promise you'll not see me knocking on your door again like a mad woman. I hope this one works out for you Guy and again, I'm sorry."

She hugged him, he said to her, "Well, I hope you and Gracie do good too. I'm rooting for you."

"Bye. Tell your girlfriend thanks for helping out too and that I meant no harm."